Sunday 3 June 2018

RFID And Bringing The World Into The Future

By Ruth Fisher


It used to be that in order to keep track of something, one had to use their eyes. Once it was out of sight, it was practically lost. But as society evolved, so did the tools used by humanity. Nowadays, keeping track of something is as easy as slapping a tag on it and using a CSL RFID reader connected, wirelessly or otherwise, to a computer.

RFID means radio frequency identification. It is a method by which a device, a reader, wirelessly scans information from a tag embedded with a chip. There are two types of tags, the passive and active. Passive tags rely on siphoning power from the radio waves of a reader, while an active tag will have its own power source such as a battery.

UHF stands for ultra high frequency. It is the frequency at which many systems essential to the modern world operate. The systems include mobile phone coverage, global positioning systems or GPS, and perhaps most importantly, Wi-Fi systems.

RFID tags are used widely in for security purposes. Items embedded with an RFID tag will often go off if taken out in a store. Similarly, identification cards can often contain chips in them, especially if there are systems in place to deny entry to outsiders. A chipped card simply allows entry into such places. Similarly, casinos chips are often tagged to prevent theft.

Tagged chips can also be use to keep track of living things. Pet owners often implant their animals with chips in order to make keeping track of them much easier and also to find them easily should they get lost. Animals can also be tagged while in zoos or other amusement parks, to keep track of them and to make sure that they remain in their respective enclosures.

The applications of RFID technology are limitless, governed only by the imagination. The technology can make shopping at a physical location much easier. Items can be tagged with chips and instead of waiting in line at a counter, a customer can simply walk out, with RFID readers automatically reading both the chips and the credit or debit card of a customer and charging the latter the amount for the former. If shopping at a physical location does not completely fade away, it should be revolutionized. The technology can also be applied to health, as dust can be made that can be introduced into the human bloodstream to monitor overall bodily health. The main challenge to such technology is the fear that it applied to tracking animals can crossover and be applied to tracking people.

Now, simply picking a reader is easy. There are many that are currently on the market. Picking the right one is the key.

Like anything else, price should be considered. RFID readers can cost hundreds of dollars for even the cheapest variant. The investment is good, but it is still a considerable one. Some RFID readers will have to stay outdoors. As such finding a durable one is key. A weak one will break easily and necessitate another purchase.

Technology has changed the world, sometimes for the better, sometimes not. But, mostly for the better. There are those whose lives will be negatively impacted as technology continues to progress, but there are many more who will benefit greatly.




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